For Machines Mfd. Since 10/21
Model SB1118
-29-
O P E R A T I O N
South Bend Tools
Planing Tips
• Inspect your lumber for twisting or cupping,
and surface cupped side on a jointer if
necessary before planing workpiece.
• Scrape off all glue when planing glued-up
panels. Dried glue can quickly dull inserts.
• DO NOT plane more than one piece at a time
side by side.
• Never remove more than the recommended
amount of material on each pass. Only
remove a small amount of material on each
pass when planing wide or dense stock.
• Support the workpiece on both ends. Get
assistance from another person if you are
planing long lumber, or use roller stands to
support the workpiece.
• Measure the workpiece thickness with
calipers to get exact results.
• Use a jointer on one side of the workpiece and
the planer for the other.
• Use the entire width of the planer to
wear knives/inserts evenly. With narrow
workpieces, alternate between far left, far
right, and the middle of the table. Your
knives/inserts will remain sharp much longer.
• To avoid "chip marks", always plane WITH
the grain direction of the wood. Never plane
cross-grain or end-grain.
• Plane ONLY natural wood fiber. Do not plane
wood composites or other materials that could
break up in the planer and cause operator
injury or damage to planer.
• Always true cupped or warped stock on a
jointer before planing.
Common Cutting
Problems
Below is a list of wood characteristics you
may encounter when planing. The following
descriptions of defects will give you some possible
answers to problems you may encounter while
planing different materials. Possible solutions
follow the descriptions.
Chipped Grain
Problem:
Usually a result of cutting against the
grain, planing lumber with knots or excessive
amount of cross grain, or using dull knives/
inserts.
Note:
Some amount of chipping is normal with
highly fi gured wood.
Solution:
Decrease the depth of cut. Reduce the
feed rate. Inspect your lumber and determine if
its grain pattern is causing the problem. If the
lumber does not show substantial crossgrain,
inspect your knives/inserts.
Fuzzy Grain
Problem:
Usually caused by surfacing lumber
with too high of a moisture content. Sometimes
fuzzy grain is an unavoidable characteristic of
some woods, such as basswood. Fuzzy grain can
also be caused by dull knives/inserts.
Solution:
Check the lumber with a moisture
meter. If moisture is greater than 20%, sticker
the lumber and allow it to dry. Otherwise,
inspect the knife/insert condition.
Snipe
Problem:
Occurs when board ends have more
material removed than the rest of the board.
Usually caused when the workpiece is not
properly supported as it goes through the
machine. In many cases, however, a small
amount of snipe is inevitable.
Solution:
Hold workpiece up slightly as it leaves
the outfeed end of the planer. The best way to
deal with snipe is by planing lumber longer than
your intended work length and then cutting off
the excess after planing is completed.
